Home > Patriots veterans happy to see rookies produce, caution to not get caught up in the hype

Patriots veterans happy to see rookies produce, caution to not get caught up in the hype

Mark Daniels Wednesday, September 12, 2012

As Bill Belichick continuously keeps his rookies straight, you don’t have to look far in the Patriots locker room for the veterans who also aim to keep the first-year players down a notch.

Though everyone was happy with the production of rookies Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower and Tavon Wilson in Week 1, many players were quick to point out that it’s also important to take the first-year guys down a peg.

“Yeah, keep them from dancing all over the locker room like Chandler and his creative dance that he had there. I don’t know where he learned that one,” said safety Steve Gregory. “Those guys did a great job in the game last week, hopefully we can keep them going in that type of play and get it out of them again this week. That’d be great.”

Patriots special team captain Matthew Slater said that he and the rest of his fellow rookies heard the lectures so many times from the coaching staff during his first year that he’ll never get to the point where he feels like he’s arrived.

“Well, I think they get enough of that from the coaches,” Slater said when asked if he reminds the rookies it's a long season. “We’re proud of what those guys have done. They’ve come in and worked hard and done everything they’ve been asked to do from day one. It’s been a good group to work with and hopefully they can keep that trend up.”